A functional MicroRNA-155 ortholog encoded by the oncogenic Marek's disease virus.
Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus-encoded microRNA (miRNA) MiR-K12-11 was recently shown to be a functional ortholog of miR-155, a miRNA that plays a major role in lymphoid malignancies and the modulation of immune responses. Here we show that miR-M4, encoded by the highly oncogenic Marek's disease virus of chickens, shares common targets with miR-155 and thus is also a functional ortholog of miR-155, the first one identified in an alphaherpesvirus. The observation that two distinct oncogenic herpesviruses associated with distinct types of lymphomas in different species encode functional miR-155 orthologs suggested the importance of this miRNA in regulatory pathways and the biology of lymphomagenesis.
Zhao
Yuguang
Y
Viral Oncogenesis Group, Division of Microbiology, Institute for Animal Health, Compton, Berkshire RG20 7NN, United Kingdom.
Yao
Yongxiu
Y
Xu
Hongtao
H
Lambeth
Luke
L
Smith
Lorraine P
LP
Kgosana
Lydia
L
Wang
Xiaowei
X
Nair
Venugopal
V
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002645:Chickens; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D008156:Luciferases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D025922:Mardivirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D035683:MicroRNAs; D012367:RNA, Viral; D008156:Luciferases